12:00 CEST: Rehearsal 3: 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan - Mamagama - Run With U
In the first Semi-Final Italy will perform at this point, but as they’re part of the Big 5 they don’t rehearse until Thursday. So instead we skip straight to Azerbaijan’s Mamagama, with Asef, Hasan and Arif singing Run With You.
This is our first performance of the season where we have no national final as a frame of reference for this staging – Mamagama were chosen through an internal selection. So we have no idea what to expect – how terrifying for the liveblogger exciting is that?
There’s so much joy in this performance – it’s giving Daft Punk/Nile Rodgers funk-pop vibes, but with a nod to Azerbaijan tradition in the sections after the chorus when lead singer Asef plays the saz, which is a traditional long-necked lute. The performance plays out in the middle of the stage, inside a lit halo on the floor that’s mirrored by a smaller one suspended from the roof. The LED wall adds scores of animated shadow dancers mirroring the moves of Mamagama’s three backing dancers, creating a very cool crowd effect that’s got us all chair dancing – this is such a summery bop.
As for costumers, the band are in very stylish black leather suits with red accents, but Asef and Hasan are wearing different styles of jacket, and Arif’s top is sleeveless, which presumably makes it easier to play the drums. They also have three dancers in sparkly black and red catsuits – we’re told that the male dancer isn’t wearing the final outfit today, so we’ll see that in the second rehearsal. The style levels have been outstanding so far this year, and Azerbaijan are no exception.
🔥 PYRO UPDATE! Big flame jets at the end!
IT'S GREYSIE IT'S PARTY